The Hindrances to Ministerial Success. 


AN 


ADDRESS, 


DELIVERED AT THE COMMENCEMENT, 


IN 


Che General Cheological Seminary 


OF THE 


PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH 


IN THE UNITED STATES. 


YELD IN ST. PETER’S CHURCH, NEW-YORK, ON FRIDAY, 
JUNE 28, 1839. 


BY THE RIGHT REV. SAML. A. McCOSKRY, D.D., 


BISHOP OF THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CHURCH IN MICHIGAN. 


PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES. 


NEW-YORK: 
SWORDS, STANFORD & CO. 


1839. 


Tue author of the following remarks thinks it but justice to himself to say, that 
only a few hours were allowed him in their preparation. Owing to circumstances 
which need not be mentioned, he has not re-written them; but gives them as they, 


were delivered, with only a few verbal alterations. 


ADDRESS. 


My vear Frienps, 


Ir has been made my duty to offer you a few remarks, prior 
to the severance of the tie which has connected you with the 
institution whose interests are so dear to us all. I would gladly 
have given this task into other hands, as circumstances have 
prevented me from so arranging them as to do justice to myself, 
and prove most profitable to you. I have only been able to 
make use of the intervals allowed me from the continued duties 
connected with my visit to this city. But my remarks are 
offered to you, such as they are, and with this consolation, that 
they have in view your best interests, and the promotion of the 
glory of God. I know that those of you who are about to leave 
the institution with which you have been connected, look upon 
this period of your lives as full of deep interest, and as connected 
with fearful responsibilities. It is truly so. I know of no 
situation in which any one can be placed, that is so exciting, 
and so full of anxious solicitude, as the one you now occupy. 
You are soon to receive a commission to enter upon a work 
which calls for qualifications that are calculated to make the 
most highly gifted, as to mental attainments, and the most 
deeply imbued with the spirit of our adorable Redeemer, feel 
their entire unfitness, and their inability to meet their demands. 
If there were not high and holy motives prompting to the per- 
formance of the duties which this work demands, and an en- 
tire reliance upon the promise of assistance from God himself, 
we would at once tell you, that it would be in vain for you to 
accept this commission ;—its duties you could never perform— 


4 


its responsibilities you could never meet. I therefore take it 
for granted, that your hopes of success rest upon the reception 
of that assistance which is so freely promised ; which can make 
the weak strong, the timid bold, the wavering decided, and 
the humblest instrument, the means of accomplishing the will of 
God. That you desire most ardently to be successful in win- 
ning souls to Christ, we believe ; that you are anxiously waiting 
for the command to go forward, we also believe. But that you 
may be disappointed, and have cause for sorrow, that so few 
have been brought to Christ through your means, is, to say the 
least, possible. For it is a lamentable fact, that few, very few, 
of those who have been commissioned as ambassadors of 
Christ, have been successful in bringing sinners to the know- 
ledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. ‘Take up the records of the 
different churches that are yearly presented, and how small the 
number reported as having come out from the world and be- 
come the followers of our blessed Lord. Now, the fault must 
-rest somewhere. We cannot, we dare not, charge God with 
withholding his aid—that is freely proffered. We cannot call 
in question the fitness of the means which he has prescribed— 
this would be to doubt his wisdom, and impeach his professed 
solicitude for the happiness of the creatures of his hands. The 
truth cannot be disguised: we must admit, that it is want of 
faithfulness in those who have professed “to be inwardly 
moved by the Holy Ghost” to undertake, this work, and who 
have solemnly sworn to be faithful unto death. I trust, there- 
fore, it will not be out of place to present before you some 
of those causes which have prevented the gospel of Christ from 
having its due influence upon the hearts and lives of men. 

The first I would notice, is the want of faithfulness in pre- 
senting before men their true condition as lost, ruined, miserable, 
wretched sinners. The picture which the word of God exhi- 
_ bits is by no means flattering to human nature. It represents 
them as “dead in trespasses and sins,” as “ working out all 
uncleanness with greediness ;” and the homilies of the church but 

echo this language, “ that they are altogether spotted and defiled,” 


5 


“‘ that there is not a spark of goodness in them.” We also find 
that the liturgy is in accordance with it: “that there is no 
health in them ;” and addresses all, without any distinction, as 
“miserable sinners.” Now, we believe, that many fail of suc- 
cess by not holding up before men, without any fear, this their 
condition. They are often told, that there is some goodness 
in them, which needs but to be cultivated, in order to fit them 
for the reception of the favour of God; that they are only to 
be diligent in the use of the means which the word of God 
prescribes, and they can look with confidence to the rich pro- 
mise of his love. Hence it is, that you hear sinners addressed 
as if they were Christians, because, forsooth, they have been 
baptized, and are found sitting with the people of God; when 
every malignant passion is rampant within, and their hearts 
untouched by the renewing and sanctifying influences of the 
Spirit of God. - Thus a degree of self-complacency is produced, 
and the sinner, instead of going to the cross of Jesus as a broken- 
hearted penitent, contents himself with a general belief in the 
atonement which he has made, and relies upon his outward 
reformation, and reception of the sacrament, for acceptance 
- with God, rather than upon the merits of a crucified Redeemer. 
The great effort of the ministers of Christ should be to convince 
of sin; to place before men their true condition in the sight of 
God. This, we are told, is the first office of the Spirit of God ; 
and unless they follow his method, and bring all their energies 
to bear upon this great and important point, they will inevitably 
fail of success. Many have failed, and are now doing nothing, 
comparatively speaking, “in bringing sinners from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan unto God.” It is thought 
and believed, that there is one gospel for the learned, and 
another for the unlearned; one for the rich and the great ones of 
this earth, and another for the poor and the unfortunate. The 
time 1s come when men will not bear the gospel of Christ, and 
are saying,“ prophesy unto us smooth things;” and, unfortunately, 
the minister of Christ, catching the spirit of the age, oftentimes 
keeps back the truth, which has been, and ever will be, offensive 


6 


to men. A proper reserve is now to be practised, and men are 
not to receive those truths which made a Felix tremble, and a 
cruel jailer exclaim, “ what must I do to be saved?” The lan- 
guage of Scripture is too harsh for delicate ears; it must be 
softened and rendered less offensive; and the consequence has 
been, that instead of hearing of large accessions to the fold of 
Christ, and the Church becoming the joy of the whole earth for 
the purity of her members, and the comfort which she dispenses 
to her children, she has nearly passed into the hands of the 
world ; and the day, we fear, is rapidly coming for the chas- 
tisement of the Lord, to bring her back to her allegiance to her 
Great Head. ‘To prove that this is not an extravagant picture, 
I have only to direct your attention to the situation of the 
ministry in our church at the present moment. How few of us 
are enduring the contradiction of sinners; how few of us are 
opposed because we have declared unto men their true condi- 
tion: that they are obnoxious to the wrath of God, rebels 
against his government, and despisers of the riches of his grace, 
and are rapidly preparing for the anguish of the second death- 
We would suffer, we must suffer, if we do our duty. “We are 
not to make difficulties, or court opposition, we are to preach 
the truth in love; but if we do preach the truth, if we tear from 
men the veil which conceals their deformity, and open up to 
them the deep depravity of their nature, we cannot expect to 
escape their hatred, or be free from their reproach. For I can 
see nothing which makes the situation of the ministers of Christ 
now in any way different from what it was in the early days 
of the Church. It was then a situation filled with trials, and 
despised of men. To be a minister of Christ then, was to be 
held up as the object of derision and scorn. Yea, such were 
their trials,as to induce St. Paul to declare, “that he thought that 
God had set forth the Apostles last, as it were appointed unto 
death, for they were made a spectacle unto the world, and to an- 
gelsandtomen. Even unto this present hour,” he says, “we both 
hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no 
certain dwelling place, and labour, working with our own hands ; 


7 


being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we suffer it; being 
defamed, we intreat ; we are made as the filth of the earth, and 
are the off-scouring of all things unto this day.” Now, the 
very same truths are to be proclaimed by the ministers of Christ 
at the present day, as were made known by the Apostles, and 
which brought down upon them the odium and reproach of 
men. They did not dare to soften the truth, or so shape its re- 
quirements as to meet the circumstances of their hearers, as not 
to give offence, and thus keep down the arm of persecution ; on 
the contrary, they seized every occasion, even when bonds and 
imprisonment awaited them, to make known unto men their 
lost and ruined condition, and that there was no way of escape 
from the wrath of God, but by and through Him whom they 
had cruelly puttodeath. St. Paul stands before us as a monu- 
ment of faithfulness and perseverance, and of high and noble 
courage in making known the truth, under all circumstances. 
He feared not to tell a guilty Governor, who had his life in his 
hands, that he was a wretched sinner in the sight of God; that 
he had trampled upon the rights of his fellow-creatures, as well 
as violated the laws of the moral Governor of the universe. 
And such, my friends, must be the spiritof every ambassador of 
Christ now. He must not fear the face of man. He must not 
keep back the truth, even if his life be the forfeit. The truth 
is more demanded now than it was in the days of the Apostles. 
Men are more daring in their opposition to God; vice is on the 
increase ; and millions are continually going down to an eternal 
death. 

We hear much about returning to primitive practices at the 
present day, but we fear it is only in reference to those things 
which may give a greater eclat to our ecclesiastical organiza- 
tion, and render us more conspicuous among men. We want 
to see a return to primitive fearlessness, and primitive faithful- 
ness in making known the condition of a guilty world. We 
want to see a return to that self-denial, that persevering energy, 
that contempt of the applause of men, that unshaken confidence 
in the promises of God, which characterized the first preachers 


8 


of the gospel of our blessed Lord. If you desire to be suc- 
cessful, you must imitate their example; you must catch the 
spirit which fired them to the performance of duties, which 
now appear almost beyond the power of man to perform, 
but which must, which can, which ought to be performed by 
every minister of Christ, because that very assistance 1s vouch- 
safed now, which was given to them, and which enabled them 
to lay down their lives for the sake of Him who had redeemed 
them with his own precious blood. Be faithful, then, I beseech 
you, in this part of yourduty. Be not afraid to tell men their 
true condition in the sight of God. If you are called to preach 
before kings, or governors, or the most favoured of this world’s 
votaries, tell them what God has declared in reference to their 
condition, Bring all your efforts to bear upon this first, this 
great point, to convince men of sin. On your success in this 
particular depends your whole success in bringing sinners to 
Christ. 

Another cause of failure is the want of a clear exhibition of 
the leading doctrine of the gospel, viz. justification by faith. 
Of course I cannot on the present occasion present before you 
a full view of this great subject. That there are conflicting 
opinions in reference to it, all must acknowledge, who are in 
the least degree conversant with the passing events of the day. 
There are, however, no conflicting statements in the word of God. 
And I think there would be but little difference of opinion on 
this subject, if we could divest ourselves of all predilections for 
favourite systems, and the opinions of men, and rely simply on 
the word of God. The whole doctrine is contained in the answer 
of St. Paul to the jailer at Phillippi, “ Believe on the Lord Jesus 
Christ and thou shalt be saved.” This is sufficient to give usa 
clear view of the subject. It at once tells us, that it is not by 
any righteousness that we have, or can have, that we are to be 
justified before God, but that it is by the righteousness of an- 
other, even Jesus Christ, to which we must look for acceptance 
with God ; that it is a simple act on the part of God, by which 
he declares, that we are freely, fully, perfectly acquitted of all 


9 


charge against us, on account of the merits of his dear Son; 
those merits having been made ours by an act of faith; this act 
having no merit, but as freely and fully the gift of God, as the 
pardon and benefits received. Here there is no difficulty. The 
awakened sinner at once perceives that this is what he desires. 
He feels that there is nothing in him which can merit the forgive- 
ness of God, that he must have some one who has merit enough, 
and dignity enough, to stand between him and an offended God. 
To Christ, therefore, he looks, as he is commanded, with an 
eye of faith, and at once his burden is removed, and he expe- 
riences that peace which the world cannot give, and which 
passeth all understanding. but how often is the philosophy of 
man mixed up with this subject? To such an extent, that the 
poor sinner who has been roused to the consideration of his 
soul’s salvation by the Spirit of God accompanying the preach- 
ed word, can now scarcely find out how he can be saved. He 
is often told to reform, cut off all evil habits, engage in the. 
most scrupulous and faithful performance of duties, and having 
done all these things, then to trust to the mercy of God through 
Jesus Christ. But how contraryis this plan to that which God has 
made known for his salvation; and how contrary to that which 
the Church, echoing the word of God, has made known to 
those who are found looking to her for direction. She tells us 
in her 13th article, “that all works done before the grace of 
Christ, and the inspiration of his spirit, are not pleasant to God, 
for as much as they spring not of faith in Jesus Christ.” And 
again, in her 11th article, “we are accounted righteous before 
God, only for the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 
by faith, and not for our own works or deservings.” But it ap- 
pears that the great desire is toescape from these formularies of 
our faith, or so interpret them as to suit the ever changing opin- 
ions of men. The plan of the gospel which they set forth, is too 
simple, and brings too little glory to men; they do not fall in 
with the pride of the human heart, and effectually cut off all 
ground for boasting before God. Hence they must be modified 
to suit the restless and innovating spirit of the age, and the 


10 


Church must now be torn loose from these strong holds, to be 
drifted with every current, and driven and tossed with every 
breeze. But whatis the result? Men have succeeded in some 
degree in mystifying this great doctrine, and how few are led to 
the cross of Jesus Christ! It is indeed a melancholy scene that 
is presented when we look over the Church of God. ‘Take up 
our congregations one by one, and count the number of even 
the professed followers of Christ, and what a fearfully small pro- 
portion do they bear to the number of those who are “lovers of 
pleasure more than lovers of God.” This I consider to be 
the result of the philosophizing spirit of the day, which has 
almost concealed this great doctrine of the gospel, and bound 
sinners fast who were almost ready to break away from the 
bondage of sin. For, my friends, there is nothing that will ex- 
cite a just and well founded hope in the bosom of the sinner, 
awakened to a sense of his sinfulness, but pointing him at once 
to the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world. It 
is in the cross alone that he can see the guilt, as well as be as- 
sured of the pardon of sin,—and if this be not presented as a 
relief against the accusations of conscience, and the denuncia- 
tions of a violated law, to be received at once and not by de- 
grees, he feels that his case is not met, that the remedy is not 
suited to the disease. If you wish then to be successful minis- 
ters of Christ, hold up this doctrine before men in all its sim- 
plicity, and as their only hope ; tell them that this righteousness 
can be theirs by a simple act of faith, which God has promised 
to bestow, and that having this, the inheritance which is incor- 
ruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, is theirs, and that 
for ever; direct them to adopt the language of the Church, as 
containing the ground of all their hopes of acceptance with 
God: “by the mystery of thy holy Incarnation ; by thy holy Na- 
tivity and Circumcision; by thy Baptism, Fasting and Tempta- 
tion ; by thine Agony and Bloody Sweat ; by thy Cross and Pas- 
sion; by thy precious Death and Burial; by thy glorious Resurrec- 
tion and Ascension ; and by the coming of the Holy Ghost, Good 
Lord, deliver us.” Here the sinner has something on which to 


Et 


rest his hopes; he can plead the obedience of Christ even unto 
death as the ground of his pardon and justification before God ; 
and having this, he has new motives to quicken him in the pur- 
suit of things eternal, and the high security of the promise of 
God that his labour shall not be in vain; he now performs good 
works, not that he may be accepted of God, but because he ts 
accepted ; and so long as this idea is cherished, as based upon 
his union with Christ, he has before him the highest motives to 
prompt him to renewed faithfulness, to untiring exertion in 


making his calling and election sure. He feels “that these © 


works cannot put away his sins, and endure the severity of 
God’s judgment, but being the fruits of faith, and following af- 
ter his justification, they are pleasing and acceptable to God in 
Christ.” (See article 12th.) 

This is the doctrine which our beloved Church tells us to 
teach, and this is the great leading doctrine which she brought 
out from the corruptions of Papacy, and which she now holds 
up as the brightest gem of the reformation. 

Another cause of the want of ministerial success is to be 
found in the prevailing disposition to hold up to an unwarrant- 
able degree the externals of the Church. That these are to be 
exhibited at proper times and on proper occasions, none can 
doubt. The distinctive principles of the Church ought to be 
fearlessly and faithfully presented. And in doing this, they 
ought tobe placed where the Saviour has placed them, without 
the least compromise. There is nothing to be gained, even if it 
could be done in consistence with our duty to the Church, by a 
timid and time-serving policy in regard to these things. In ad- 
dition to this, those who differ from us will respect us far more 
by being candid and honest, than by attempting to conciliate by 
a sacrifice of principle. We ought to take high ground on this 
subject, and preach the truth in love. But this is only a small 
part of the duty of the minister of Christ. If he confine his at- 
tention to what are called the externals of the Church, he may 
make enlightened Churchmen, but he will make few Christians. 
Men may be able to explain a rubric, and expound the canons, 


& 


12 


and tell all the festivals and fasts, and be able to trace the apos- 
tolic succession, and still be “in the gall of bitterness, and in the 
bonds of iniquity.” Now, we believe that there has been too 
much time given to these things, to the neglect of those which 
can alone make wise unto salvation. We have succeeded 
in extending the knowledge of the Church and her peculiarities, 
from the highest to the lowest among us, and I thank God for 
it; but have we succeeded in any fair proportion in bringing 
sinners to the knowledge of the truth as it is in Christ? We 
must acknowledge we have not. Besides all this, hundreds 
have been driven from our communion to seek for spiritual 
nourishment in other folds, because they could only learn the 
principles of the Church—I mean asit regards her external organ- 
ization—instead of receiving the first lesson how they were to 
be saved ; and others, also, who had been led to Christ, but were 
not built up in their most holy faith. The gospel being received, 
it is an easy matter to throw around them those safeguards which 
the Church has provided ; and if it had been done as it should 
have been done, we should not now be called to lament that the 
Church has almost sunk to ruin in places where once hundreds 
thronged her gates with thanksgivings, and entered into her 
courts with praise. I desire, then, to caution you in reference 
to this subject, for I well know the desire which we all feel to 
extend the borders of our beloved Church, and none feel more 
than those who have just commenced to tell of her excellencies, 
and make known through her the riches of redeeming love. 
Your first aim should be to save the soul; to bring all the mo- 
tives which the Gospel furnishes to bear upon this point. This 
should be the all-absorbing desire of your heart ; and in doing 
this, it is an easy thing so to exhibit the Church and her pecu- 
larities, that they may tend to strengthen your efforts and 
secure the desired result, rather than turn away the sinner 
inquiring the way to be saved. I feel confident that a neglect 
of this has thrown coldness and formality over many churches 


in the land; and more than all, has, I fear, destroyed many 
souls. 


13 


The last point I would very briefly notice as preventing 
ministerial success, is the want of a due appreciation of minis- 
terial responsibilities. J will not enter upon the nature of this 
office, and the duties and responsibilities which it involves. 
That the latter are not duly appreciated is, unfortunately, often- 
times too true. There are many who solemnly assume this 
office, and declare that they will be instant in season and out 
of season in discharging its duties, who yet have a far greater 
regard to the comforts that may be found in connection with it, 
than for the trials, and cares, and anxieties which are almost in- 
separably connected with its faithful performance. ‘To prove 
this, we have only to look at the small number who are actively 
and laboriously employed in preaching the gospel. In addition 
to this, how few are willing to go and forsake father, mother, 
brother, sister, and friends, for the sake of Christ and his cause. 
The great anxiety with many is, and indeed I may say that it 
is often a matter of calculation, where shall we be most plea- 
santly situated, so that we may escape the self-denials, and the 
many hardships incident to a discharge of ministerial duty in 
the outposts of our land. Our reports from the missionary 
committees of the Church tell a melancholy tale. But one ap- 
plication has been received during the past year from any 
clergyman among us expressive of a desire to go among the 
heathen and preach the gospel of peace. And the number is 
small, very small, of those who have been found ready to go to 
the destitute portions of our own country and gather the rich 
harvest that is fully ripe. Our Missionary Bishop has been 
obliged, again and again, to leave his extensive field of labour, 
and come and beg and entreat those who are numbered among 
the ministers of Christ, and unemployed, to go and hold up his 
hands; but alas! alas! his petitions have often been in vain, 
and but few have been found willing to share his toils and bear 
his burdens. 

Now, we are persuaded better things of you, though we thus 
speak. We trust you will be found ready and willing to go 
wherever sinners are perishing for lack of the bread of life ; 


14 


that no calculation of worldly comfort will be made, but that 
with a cheerful heart and steady mind you will give yourselves 
up to the work of the ministry. God grant that you may be 
fitted for its duties, and be made wise to win souls, and be saved 
from the awful, ruinous condition of the faithless minister of 
Jesus Christ. 


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